Title: Killer Instinct

Author: diabolikal rapture / Britt

Summary: Takes place after A Missing Link, and includes part of Repercussions, the rest is AU. Sydney risks her life to find the truth about her missing years, and places her trust within one of her enemies. Includes Syd, Simon, Sark, Vaughn and possibly others.

Feedback: Please review and let me know what you think! This is my first attempt at a chapter fic, so please let me know what you like/didn't like!

Killer Instinct :

Chapter 1: World Comes Tumblin'

Sydney slowly awoke to the throbbing pain in herhead. She slowly opened her eyes, and was blinded instantlyby the brightness of the sun. She looked through blurred vision as her eyes began to adjust. She held her hand to her head as the throbbing continued. She looked at her surroundings, confused by what she saw before her. She closed her eyes and opened them again, making sure that she was really in this unfamiliar room. She began to sit up, her head pounding as she pulled away the bed covers. Her feet hit the cold floor as she sat on the side of the bed. A sharp pain shot up her side, adding to the pain she already felt within her skull. She slowly lifted her shirt, afraid of what she might find. She hoped, she prayed, that it wasn't like last time. She looked down at her stomach and the prominent blue/purple bruise that coloured her skin. Gently she pressed down on the area, flinching with the pain she inflicted upon herself. She leaned further down, noticing a small spot of blood, the size of a pin prick...Had she been drugged? Was that why her head was pounding? And was that why she was in this unfamiliar room?

Syd stood a little too quickly, causing her head to spin. Again she held her hand to her head, hoping to push the dizziness from her mind. She moved slowly around the room, tracing the perimetre as she took note of her surroundings. She stopped in front of a large mirror beside the closet, and looked at her reflection. Everything was normal. But where was she? She struggled to ignore the continuous throbbing as she tried to retrace her steps, and tried to remember what she was doing before this happened. She remembered nothing. Had it happened again? Was she being held by the Covenant? She was growing frustrated with her disorientation, she needed answers, and she needed them now. She looked out the window, trying to figure out where she was. It looked like LA, but she wasn't sure. She spun as she heard the sound of voices outside the door. She crossed the room and tried the door handle, but it was locked. She gripped her fists and banged against the door, grabbing the attention of her captors.

The muffled voices fought with each other, until there was silence. She stood back from the door, and watched as a shadow played beneath the door. The handle slowly turned. She held her breath, preparing herself for whoever it was that was holding her there. She held her gaze as the door slowly opened, the brightness of the exterior room blinding her temporarily. She peered at the two figures as her eyes adjusted to the new lighting. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar face of Michael Vaughn standing before her. She felt a smile grow across her face as she looked into his eyes. She frowned as she studied his facial expression, his gaze was hard and cold, and it felt like he was looking straight through her. She was confused, but overjoyed by the sight of Vaughn. She shrugged off her thoughts and moved forward, throwing her arms around his shoulders, his shoulders remained stiff, and his hands in his pockets.

"Put your hands in the air!" Exclaimed the man standing behind Vaughn, "put 'em where I can see 'em, now!" He said, aiming his CIA issue gun directly at her.

She pulled her arms away from Vaughn, and held them in the air as she was instructed to do. She frowned as she stepped back. Vaughn's expression remained the same as the other man approached her. She glanced at the man before turning her attention back to Vaughn. Her eye's questioned him, but he made no response. She stood completely still as she allowed the man to guide her into another room. She was forced down into a chair as Vaughn entered the room and took a seat across from her. She watched him as he kept his eyes away from her own, making sure thatthey didn't make eye contact. She tried to swallow, but the lump that had formed in her throat made it increasingly difficult. She looked back as the man gripped her arms firmly and folded them behind her, cuffing them to the chair.

"What ...?" Sydney began as her voice caught in her throat.

Vaughn nodded to the man as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Syd focused on Vaughn as she swallowed and attempted to ask the question again.

"Vaughn, what's going on?"

He sat across from her in silence. He still hadn't made eye contact.

"Vaughn, look at me, tell me what's going on?" She said firmly, almost through her teeth.

She watched as he turned and gathered something from the table behind him. He turned back to face her, gripping a yellow folder in his hands. He held it within his grip for a few seconds before sliding it across the table between them. Syd gazed down at the folder, trying to see through the cover and view its contents. She looked back at Vaughn, her eyes asking him to open the folder for her. Their eyes connected for a split second as he stood and flipped the folder open, revealing a photograph inside. Syd stretched as far as she could from her restraints, trying to get a proper view of the photograph. She looked up at Vaughn and the angered expression on his face, before looking down at the photograph.

"That is what's going on ...Julia." Vaughn spat angrily.

Her breath caught within her throat at the mentioning of that name. She felt her eyes begin to tear up as she held her gaze on the black and white photo. What was she doing with Simon Walker? She scanned through her memory, hoping to find the answer but only found flashes of memories. Flashes of images of Simon and herself, but as soon as she tried to remember what she was doing with him, the images began to fade. She blinked as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She looked up at Vaughn through her blurred vision, questioning him, asking him for answers. Was it happening all over again?